WHY? Why do bad things happen to good people? I would suspect that we’ve all wondered this at least once in our lifetime. I can think of multiple times in my life that I have pondered this. My precious innocent 8 year old little girl lost her life in a tragic golf cart accident. And I consider myself a good person…yet I’ve suffered grievously, (emotionally, physically, and mentally) since this tragedy.
There is so much evil in this sinful world. We can’t turn the television on and watch the news without hearing about a mass shooting, a robbery, a kidnapping, child abuse, death by cancer and diseases, etc. It’s downright depressing to watch the news these days! And when it hits close to home, it’s difficult and sometimes hard to understand why.
Sometimes God allows trials and tribulation to enter our life. But we must maintain our faith in Him. God may reveal the answers to some of our questions in His perfect timing. Regardless, He always knows what’s best for us and He has a plan for each of our lives. Trials grow our faith. They also teach us to rely on God during tough times.
James 1:2-3 says, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Being a “good person” or even living an upright Christian life and loving the Lord does not exempt us from experiencing trials. Even God said in the Bible that Job was a perfect and upright man that feared Him and shunned all evil. However, God allowed Satan to inflict suffering on Job. He lost everything…except his life. All of his animals, servants and children died. He got sores all over his skin. He was in so much physical and mental pain that the Bible says Job wished he had never been born and felt like he would be better off dead.
No matter the depth of the dark valley he was in, Job never lost hope and his faith in God never waivered and in the end, God restored Job’s health and bestowed more blessings on him than he ever had before. Job should be an inspiration to us all not to give up, when going through a season of trials, tribulations, or suffering, but instead stay faithful to God.
We may not understand at the time “why” we go through tough and/or sorrowful times in life, and it may not even become apparent or be revealed to us later in life. However, we can rest assured that, even when God does allow trials and tribulations into our lives, ultimately, everything is for a reason and it’s all in His plan. He knows our future…He can see the whole picture…we cannot, so we must trust Him.
Romans 8:28 says, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.